Happy St. Patricks Day

Happy St Patricks Day!!!!

This is my oxlis plant, it is several years old and spends the spring and summer in the flower bed and the winter in a pot in front of the South patio door with all the other plants we dig and keep blooming.


These are the crocus in the flower bed by the garage, a sure sign of spring since they are NOT blooming in a snow drift.

Each year in March the local lumber yard has a dinner and trade show, we attended last Thursday evening and I won the table decoration. These beautiful yellow tulips are just starting to open.

Even though the signs of spring are evident we still need to have the wood stove burning, so Steve keeps the wood ben supplied.

For the past two years I have been growing some of my garden plants from seeds. These starter flats contain: Roma, Better Boy, and Best Boy Tomatoes, Patio Cucumbers and Basil. I want to start some mixed salad greens and some Bell Peppers too. We will have more garden space this year since we finished the flower/garden bed last summer. I'll try to keep you up to date on the plants with weekly or bi-weekly progress reports.

New Work

On the Bead Dreamz group we are having a new technique challenge for March and April the technique is Herringbone or Ndebele Stitch. This is a technique that I haven't tried yet so I am doing some practice pieces to learn. You can click on some of the pictures and get a really close up look at the beading.


This first bracelet is a variation that is called Seed Stitch. You do the traditional two bead flat herringbone stitch but you very the size and color of the beads to give it the different look.

The button closure is an antique glass button from my collection. The color doesn't look very true in this picture, it is actually a cream and brown. The pattern for this bracelet is from the book Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher.

The next picture is a little fuzzy, but the close up pictures are better. This is a sampler of variations on the tubular herringbone stitch.

The center of the necklace is a spiral herringbone done with size 8 seed beads, in a matt and transparent rose color. The two sections above the center that look like beads are actually just a herringbone stitch done with size 8 beads.

The section with the bright blue beads shows how when you very the size of the beads you get another effect. There is also a small section of spiral at the top of the photo.

My Amazon.com book order arrived yesterday, all three new beading books are wonderful and I'm sure I will be posting new project pictures soon.

The weather was very spring like yesterday and today, we had highs in the 60's and 70's. I am more than ready for winter to be over. I had to go to the Dr Tuesday, had been sick for several days and it wasn't getting any better. I had acute bronchitis, from what the Dr said it seems to be effecting people who don't normally get bronchitis (non-smokers) even the Dr was just getting over a bout. I still have a pretty good cough, and I'm very tired, but I feel better each day.

I have been working on learning new beading stitches since I joined the Bead Dreamz group. For March I'm working on Herringbone Stitch. This green herringbone color sampler is my first attempt at herringbone. The pattern is from the book Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher.

The pattern has a very distinctive weave which makes it easily recognizable. The beads are grouped in twos and set next to one another at an angle that looks like the cloth herringbone weave. DAH!!!! you may say, but if you look at the above section, the placement of color

changes the look.

I'm working on another bracelet that is herringbone, but it looks like seed stitch. The size of the bead as well as the color placement really changes the look of this one.

It is very easy with herringbone to leave openings in the weave, so it is great for using a button and buttonhole for the closure on a piece. The button here is a vintage button from my collection. I looked through the jars and tin for just the right size and color.........

This next bracelet is also a new technique to me Brick Stitch. It is made with 11/0 delica beads and crystal bicones. I started at one end with two declia beads and increased and decreased each diamond shape to the length needed. Then I added the arches of delicas and bicones. This first picture is a truer rendition of the colors than the second one......matt gold and raspberry.

The button on this one is actually a crystal bead that I purchased on the 60% off wall at Hobby Lobby. The pattern for this bracelet is by Anna Nehs and is from an old Bead & Button Magazine

I am ready for spring.....the weather has been changing so much that I have gotten a very sore throat and feel awful today. I hope it gets better, I haven't had strep throat for years, but I'm afraid this one could move to that very easily. If I don't feel better I may stay in all weekend and hope it is better before I need to go back to work on Monday.

I'm beginning to feel tired again so maybe it is time for a little nap before I start supper.